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Power board ‘fudges’ data to evade queries
HP Govt open to pvt medical institutions
Himachal Govt to seek WB loan
Recall Governors of Goa, Jharkhand, says Dhumal
CM announces 1 cr for law faculty
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Truckers hold industry to ransom Baddi needs sewage treatment plant Restriction on subletting plots irks industrialists
Rape victim approaches high court for justice
Mandi gears up for Shivratri fair
Eight oxen thrown into khud
75 jaundice cases detected
Patwaris seek more promotional avenues
Employees against investing PF in stocks
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Power board ‘fudges’ data to evade queries
Shimla, March 6 The public disclosure is a part of the exercise for determination of tariff and its primary objective is to enable the consumers to file their objections and present their viewpoint before the commission. The government also presents its case before the commission, which announces the tariff only after holding public hearings. If the information given is not correct its very purpose is defeated. While there are believed to be wide discrepancies in the data provided in the public disclosure and the one on the basis of which the last tariff order was based, some of the information is apparently incorrect. For instance, the generation cost in case of the 126 MW Larji project is stated to be Rs 1.38 per unit which is not true. It is the costliest project of the board so far and already under the scanner of the SERC for its exorbitantly high cost of over Rs 1200 crore. The actual generation cost is likely to exceed Rs 4.50 per unit. Similarly, the overall transmission and distribution losses for the current financial year were pegged at 15.83 per cent by the commission in its tariff order passed in July 2004 whereas the board has furnished a figure of 18.05 percent for the current year and 17.35 percent for the next year. It is quite obvious that either the figures given by the board are wrong or it has failed to achieved the reduction in losses as per the road map laid out by the commission. The board has stated in the public disclosure that no revision of tariff has been proposed in respect of domestic and agriculture consumers which gives an impression that the tariff for these two categories will remain unaltered. As such the consumers of these categories may not come forward to file objections before the commission. Since the tariff is to be determined by the commission in accordance with the Electricity Act 2003 and the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Power such information will only serve to mislead the consumers. More so because the new power policy announced by the Centre lays down that cross-subsidies will be done away with in a phased manner and till that time the quantum of subsidy for the poor consumers should not exceed 50 percent of the overall cost of power supply. The annual revenue requirement filed by the board is Rs 1503 crore on the basis of which the average cost of supply comes to be Rs 3.93 per unit which, if allowed, increases the rate for even the subsidised categories to around Rs 2 per unit. |
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HP Govt open to pvt medical institutions
Shimla, March 6 Stating this at a press conference here today, Mr Mukesh Agnihotri, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, said the government had received several proposals in this regard which were under the consideration of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. He said the state did not have any private institution and the government had been imparting training to pharmacists, nurses and other categories of medical personnel in its own institutions as per requirement. However, the BJP which had imposed a complete ban on recruitment, discontinued various training courses as a result of which the state had been hit by an acute shortage of nurses and paramedical staff. The government had decided to revive training in its institutions and keeping in view the huge job potential in the health sector, it was also considering to allow institutions of medical educations in the private and joint sectors. However, the government would not give job guarantee to trainees who would be free to take up employment anywhere in the country. Referring to the efforts being made to strengthen the health infrastructure, Mr Agnihotri said a Rs 58.80-crore German-aided project would be soon launched in selected districts under which buildings, equipment and training would be provided. A Rs 9.23-crore World Bank-aided integrated disease surveillance project under which 18 major diseases would be monitored, would also be started. The “health-vision-2008” document being prepared by the government would provide the road map for the expansion of medical services in the state. He claimed that the health services had improved and doctors and paramedics had been posted in the interiors. Open-heart surgery would be started at IGMC Hospital soon and MRI facility would also be installed, he said. The government also proposed to provide CT scan facility in district hospitals at Nahan, Chamba, Solan, Bilaspur and Hamripur. In another important initiative, tele-medicine and video conferencing facility was being introduced at IGMC hospital to enable the faculty to join lectures delivered by experts at the AIIMS, Delhi, and the PGI, Chandigarh. |
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Himachal Govt to seek WB loan
Shimla, March 6 Disclosing this here yesterday, the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, said that the financial health of the state still remained grim as there was a loan liability of almost Rs 16,000 crores. “By seeking a loan from the WB we will undertake restructuring of the existing loans so that the liability on account of interest rate can be reduced,” he informed. He said that the government had taken a decision not to raise any non-statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) loans and the state would have to manage within the available resources. “There is an urgent need to control and regulate the state finances which had gone completely out of control and the government was able to save Rs 180 crore by returning some high interest loans,” he informed. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the Centre had come to the rescue of Himachal Pradesh as there had been an increase of Rs 200 crore in the plan size for 2005-06 over last year. “The 12th Finance Commission too has helped the state by recommending an increase of 124.27 per cent in the grant as compared to the one given last time,” he said.
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Recall Governors of Goa, Jharkhand, says Dhumal
Hamirpur, March 6 Talking to The Tribune, he said that now once again in the states of Goa and Jharkhand, the Congress had bypassed the mandate of the people and thrown to the winds two democratically elected alliances which were supposed to be given power by the respective Governors. These persons had worked at the instance of somebody who had now disowned them. Mr Dhumal praised the role of Mr Abdul Kalam, President of India, adding that the President acted in the right earnest and the whole country owed a debt to him for upholding the democratic values in India. He demanded immediate recalling of the Governors of Goa and Jharkhand in view of the decision of the President of India, directing the Jharkhand Governor to prepone the Assembly and to impose President’s rule in Goa. |
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CM announces 1 cr for law faculty
Dharamsala, March 6 He was addressing the 79th annual prize distribution function of Government Postgraduate Degree College here after giving away prizes to the meritorious students of the college in different fields. He said that the state had a vast network of educational institutions, which were catering to the educational requirements of the people of the state. Expansion plans were afoot to consolidate all these institutions by creating the necessary infrastructure. “The state has 41 colleges in the government sector and eight were being funded by the government. Most of these colleges were opened during the Congress regime and their need-based expansion would soon the done,” he said. The Chief Minister announced a grant of Rs 1 crore for the construction of law faculty and Rs 1 crore to be spent on the arts block of the Regional Centre of HP University at Dharamsala. He released a book, “Treks and Passes of Himachal Pradesh” authored by S.R. Sahni, a noted mountaineer. Dr Narender Awasthi, college principal, read out the annual report of the college and highlighted the achievements during the last one year. |
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Truckers hold industry to ransom Baddi, March 6 Industrial units have slowed down their production in Paonta Sahib, said a harassed industrialist. Even the new industrial policy did little to address the matter despite promises by the government. The Industries Minister, Mr Kuldeep Kumar, while expressing concern over the prolonged strike of the truckers, said, “It was a matter of concern for the government as it had a depressing effect on future investors. The government was trying to solve the matter at the earliest. It will soon come out with a concrete transport policy”. Major units in Baddi like Hindustan Lever Limited faced an onslaught from the truck unions right at the time of inception of their production a few months ago. Particularly affected are the export-oriented units whose requirement of special containers for transporting their goods, as demanded by their customers, was not met by these unions. Not only do they charge a tax on the use of each container from outside but it also makes their goods non-competitive, explains another industrialist from Baddi. Mr Satish Goyal, president of the Paonta Chambers of Commerce and Industry, while lamenting the slack attitude of the state government, said neither the Secretary nor the Director, Industries, had bothered to visit the area which had been facing agitations by the truck unions for the past several months. He said the truck unions paid no heed to even the high court directions passed in 1999 after they promised to provide a trouble-free atmosphere. The industrial units had been given the liberty to hire any truck for transporting their goods, said Mr Goyal. This had, however, remained only on paper. The industrialists said the government should provide a clear picture of the truck unions in the state to the new investors so that they were aware of the risks involved in investing here. They added that in a highly competitive economy, when each day mattered, slowing down one’s production led to huge losses.
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Baddi needs sewage treatment plant Baddi, March 6 Finding its
way to the three nullahs, Sandholi, Gullerwala and Sitomajra, this
sewage alone comprises one-third of the total discharge. The
worst-affected is the Sandholi nullah which receives as much as 40 per
cent of the total sewage. Despite several notices issued to the
Irrigation and Public Health Department to construct a sewage treatment
plant, nothing concrete has been done. The member secretary of the
state Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board, Dr S.S. Negi,
while expressing concern, said the situation was becoming more serious
with each passing day. He said going by the pace with which the industry
was expanding in the region, it was high time that a sewage treatment
plant was built here. The water requirement of the industry had touched
an alarming 2 crore litres per day and water harvesting had been made
compulsory for them, he added. The fact that the IPH Department had
failed to come up with any plan, tough action would have to be taken now
to check this problem. The board was contemplating to initiate severe
action against the department for its failure to comply with the board’s
directions, Dr Negi said. Officials of the IPH Department, however,
said paucity of funds was withholding the project. While agreeing that
the problem of sewage was causing pollution in the region, they said
senior officials had been apprised of the matter time and again.
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Restriction on subletting plots irks industrialists Parwanoo, March 6 As per the state government’s recently announced industrial policy the renting out of less than 50 per cent of the built up area of the plot, that was surplus to the lessee’s own requirement, from the total built up area could be allowed on a case to case basis after one year of coming into production of the unit set up by the lessee, only under special circumstances by the Director of Industries or any such officer specifically authorised by him for setting up of more separately identifiable units. Especially, the industrialists in and around the Parwanoo area were bound to suffer more due to the severe shortage of availability of land. Moreover, the decision to charge the one time processing fee as proportionate to the percentage of built up area supposed to be rented out of the total built up area with maximum fee ceiling up to Rs 50,000 have shocked the industrialists. The industrialists have also criticised the fact that it has been made clear in the policy that such permissions will automatically stand withdrawn if the original allottee or the hirer closes down his or her unit for a period exceeding 12 months continuously. Allowing over one permission for further renting out of surplus area in a plot was quite beneficial for industry as it helped to accommodate more units in a limited area, maintained members of the Parwanoo Industries Association. As there was a shortage of land at Parwanoo the decision was going to put adverse effect on industry growth, members pointed. After the announcement of the Central Government package the most of the new units were small-scale units which needed small areas to operate, the members remarked. The charging of processing fee as proportionate to the rent out portion was quite illogical. It had put extra financial burden on the industrialists, they said. The fee should be calculated on per square metre area of plot proposed to be rented out further, they suggested. |
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Rape victim approaches high court for justice
Solan, March 6 Having registered a case of rape against her own brother-in-law in September last year, she has been at the receiving end both from her elder sister as well as her estranged father. The girl, who lost her mother in 2003, finally had to approach the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court on March 1 for her safety. In her complaint to the High Court, she states that ever since she registered a complaint she, along with her two witnesses — Sourav Roy and Satish Sharma — has been continuously pressurised not to depose before the court. An attempt was also made to kidnap her from the premises of the district court here on February 25 when her statement was to be recorded. She managed to escape with great difficulty. The girl further alleged that her number of complaints to the district police regarding threats had gone unheard and no case was registered against her elder sister, her father, who had deserted the family in 1998 to settle with a maid, as well as the tantrik’s cohorts despite repeated requests. She further stated that her father, B.K. Vashisht, whom her mother had disinherited from her entire property, had been threatening her as well as her two witnesses. To add to her chagrin the Solan police registered a false case against Satish Sharma and Sourav Roy on February 28 for kidnapping and raping her. Whereas the minor girl was very much in Solan on February 28 and had again complained through a hand written application to the SP, Solan, against the tantrik’s wife and her father, yet the police took no action against her complaint. The girl stated that her complaint to the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, in January against the police’s lack of action against the tantrik’s wife and her father, for threatening her only led to the police to adopt a vindictive attitude against the case. The SP was, however, not available for comments and other police officials said they were investigating the complaint. Taking cognizance of the girl’s application, the High Court has directed the DGP and the SP of Solan to take appropriate action against the accused as mentioned by the girl. The minor girl has also apprehended fear to her life from her father and sister, the tantrik’s wife and pleaded with the High Court to grant police protection to her and take the necessary action concerning the false case registered against her two main witnesses. The girl was not only forced to miss school but is not able to attend this year’s plus two board examinations. She was lodged in a orphanage at Basantpur village, about 10 km from Sunni in Shimla district. She was, however, refused shelter there as she was not an orphan. She was then shifted to the Mashobra Nari Niketan today which is the home for juvenile criminals despite the fact that she is not a criminal. |
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Mandi gears up for Shivratri fair
Mandi, March 6 From the temple of Lord Bhoot
Nath, the venue of the procession, to Paddal Maidan and Seri Manch, venues of cultural and sports events and shopping stalls, the town is gearing up for the festival. The brochures and the schedule of the week-long festival were released by Mr Ali Raza Rizvi here today. Six star nites would be orgainsed during the fair featuring Richa Sharma (March 9), Indian Idol (March 10), Sabari Brothers and budding Himachali artistes (March 11), Faqir Mahmud and party, Karnataka and Haryana troupes (March 12), Sufi singer Kailash
Kher, Anupaman Desh Pande, besides Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka troupes and Euphoria group and Assam dance groups (March 14). The troupes from Bangladesh, sponsored by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, will perform ‘Vaul dance’ on
March 12. A fashion show would also be organised during the festival. Baby show and fun games would be other attractions of the
programme, he said. Earlier in the week, Thakur Kaul Singh, had told mediapersons that deities from Kulu and Saraj would take part in the ‘rath
yatra’. “We expect over 200 deities to participate in the rath yatra as against 172 last year,” he said. Schoolchildren and local artists would present cultural shows. A craft mela would also be held. It would showcase handicraft and handloom products. “Visitors can enjoy local cuisine like
siddu, sapu bari and the like to get a feel of Himachali culture,” he said. The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, would inaugurate the fair on March 9 and the Governor, Mr.
V.S. Kokje, would preside over on March 15, officials said. |
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Eight oxen thrown into khud
Nahan, March 6 Local residents said that around 3 a.m. a truck arrived on the bridge and the occupants of the vehicle pushed the cattle into a deep khud and fled. Villagers rushed to the spot and tried to provide first aid to the animals. Veterinary officers, who visited the spot, said that it seemed that before pushing them into the khud the oxen were beaten up and badly injured. Doctors said that two cattle were in very serious condition. Four oxen were having multiple fractures on their legs and other parts of the body and were unable to move. Two injured oxen were taken to a nearby village by residents of the area for treatment. |
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75 jaundice cases detected
Hamirpur, March 6 Nearly seventy-five persons are suffering from this disease and reports of more falling prey to it are still pouring on. The number of persons admitted to the hospital is around nine. Teams of the District Health Department and the Ayurvedic Department visited the affected areas. Dr P.R.Katwal, District Health Officer said water samples all three gram panchayats had been sent to various laboratories for testing. He said the teams advised the villagers to use only
the boiled water and avoid eating food from outside. However, the Irrigation-cum-Public Health Department spokesman told The Tribune that the water samples collected from their sources were found fit for drinking. The district administration has also decided to send filtered water of the NIT treatment plant for testing. |
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Patwaris seek more promotional avenues
Nurpur, March 6 Mr Vijay Singh, newly elected state president, who hails from Nurpur, in a statement here today rued the then state government in 1989 had accepted these demands but so for no government had issued any notification in this connection. “The demands were even accepted in principle by the present government at state-level meeting of the association held on March 12,2003,” he said. Demanding an increase in the promotional quota of naib tehsildars from 60 to 70 per cent he said that the kanungos and partwaris had been deprived of promotional avenues. He said that the kanungos in the land settlement wing had been getting promotions in three divisions whereas the revenue kanungos and partwaris were getting only one promotion which reflected the step-motherly treatment being meted out in the Revenue Department. |
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Employees against investing PF in stocks
Shimla, March 6 Mr Vinod Kumar, spokesperson of the confederation, here today said that in a highly volatile stock market would only expose the hard earned money of employees to risk. He said that Rs 80,000 crore was a huge amount and it was not prudent to invest it in the stock market. He criticised the government for not increasing the interest rate on GPF while revising the interest on CPF and said parity should be maintained by raising the rte of interest on GPF to 9 per cent. |
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